Nathaniel johnson



(No Model.)

N. JOHNSON.

SGHOOL'DBSK.

No. 329,175. APaizented Oct. 27, 1885.

llniTTn dTaTns NATHANIEL JOHNSON,

AFATnNT irren@ OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SCHOOL-DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,175, dated October27l 1885.

Application filed October 1S, 1884.

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL JoHNsoN, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented an Improvement in School- Desks, of which thefollowing is a specification.

School-desks have been made with metallic standards at the ends, andwith the desk top connected to the same by stop-hinges, so that thefront edge of the desk can be lifted and turned upward and backwarduntil the desktop occupies a vertical or nearly vertical position, inorder that more space may be given between the ranges of school-desksfor scholars to pass in and out. A desk of this character is seen in myPatent No. 109,518, granted N ovember 22, 1870.

Desks have been made similar to that in my said patent, but with theaddition of an inclinedbook-holder upon the under side, so that when thetop is turned up into the vertical position the book-holder may be madeuse of.

My present invention is an improvement upon my aforesaid patent, andrelaties to the side standards, constructed with guards that preventinjury to the person or clothing of the scholars when the desk is beingswung up or turned down, and also in the desk-top, which is construct-edin such a manner that when turned over it assumes an inclined position,and the under side of the desk itself becomes a book holder, therebydispensing with the additional devices heretofore employed to hold thebooks.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section of the seat and back andan elevation of one standard and ofthe end of the desk. Fig. 2 is a planshowing one end of the seat, the back, and the desk; and Fig. 8 is asection of the desk-top.

The standards a at theends of thel combined seat and desk are of metal,and cast with any desired ornamental open-work.

The seat b is provided with end pieces, b', and hinges b2, by means ofwhich such seat is connected to the arms a of the standards a. Thehinges b2 are provided with stops of any suitable character. The seatmaybe turned up vertically, as shown by dotted lines. The seat and itssupport correspond generally to those shown in my Patent No. 109,518,but I prefer to place the end pieces, b', at the inside Serial No.145,810. (No model.)

faces of the standards, and provide springs b3 upon the standards witheyes at the hinge to produce a friction against the seat and prevent asudden motion of such seat in turning it down' for use.

The back c is usually of wooden slats,'the ends of which are fastened tothe standards a, and at d is a shelf for books; and e is a rail in frontof the` books, and f is the stationary ledge for pens, ink, Ste., at theback of the swinging desk and between the same and the seat-back c. Thestandards a are broadened and extended as guards k at the ends of thedesk, and between these the desk-top g is pivoted.

At each end of the desk-top there is a metallic shoe, g', and theseshoes are parts of the hinges or pivots by which the desk and standardsare connected. The pivot-pins it pass into or through the respectiveparts, and the swinging movement of the top is limited' by stops uponthe hinges.

The segmental slots and pins n form convenient stops; but in order torender the desk firm when turned down I make theend pieces or shoes, g,sufficiently long at the back ends to come into Contact with theinward-projecting anges s, that are cast with the end frames, a, andthese lianges s also support the ledge f.

The hinges or pivots at the ends of the desktop g are constructed sothat the top may be inverted or turned over, the front edge being swungupwardly as the back edge moves downwardly between the guards 7c, andthe top assumes a backwardly-inclined position, asindicated by dottedline in Fig. 1, so that the under surface of the desktop itself becomesa book-holder or easel, upon which the lessonbook can be placed whilethe scholar is sitting upright and pursuing his studies.

The ledge g2 at the bottom of the bookholder is a strip that isintroduced into a rabbet at` the back under edge of the desktop, so asto be securely held in place; but the edge of the ledge-strip is notvisible upon the upper surface of the desk-top to mar the appearancethereof when the desk-top is in its normal position.

It will be apparent that the guards 7c form a protection at the endsofthe swinging desktop, so that the scholars fingers or clothing cannotbe caught between the parts when the IOO desk -top is being turned over,because the guards come up even with the surface of the desk, or nearlyso, and there are no openings or spaces into which the fingers can beinserted to come into contact with the parts of the desktop whenbeingswung in either direction.

The plate springs i are attached to the standards a, and are providedwith eyes for the pivot-pins. These springs apply sufficient friction toprevent the desk-,top moving suddenly by gravity when being swung over.

I do not claim adesk in which the back edge of the desk-top is turneddownwardly in reversing the top to use the under side as a book-rest, asthis has been used with a separate brace or support that required to beput in position by hand, and the end Iframes were open.

I am also aware that friction plates and stop-hinges for seats havebefore been inade use of.

I claim as my invention-' l. The combination, with the standards a, ofthe desk-top g, hinges connecting the standard and desktop, stop-pins onthe hinges, and

a ledge at the under surface of the back part of the desk-top,wherebythe under side of the desk-top itself forms a book -holder when turnedover into a baclrwardly-inclined position, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the reversible desk-top and its end pivots, ofstandards a, that are formed as closed guards 7c, between which thedownwardly-swinging portion of the desk-top moves, so that such guardsprevent injury to the clothing or person using such desk, substantiallyas specified.

3. The combination, with the standards a, of the revesible desk-top, thehinges or pivots for the same, having stop-pins, and thefrictionalsprings intervening between the metal end pieces of the desk-top and thestandards, substantially as set forth.

Signed by ine this 11th day of October, A. D. 1884.v

NATHL. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, HAROLD SERRELL.

